Record-card-controlled machine for sorting and the like



Nov. 29, 1927. 1,651,179

J. w. BRYCE RECORD CARD CONTROLLED MACHINE FOR SOR'IING AND THE LIKE .Filed Nov. 22. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 avweutoz W? wmpm-ffw Nov. 29, 1927. 1,651,179

J. w. BRYCE RECORD CARD CONTROLLED MACHINE FOR SORTING AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 22. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 29, 1927.

' J. w. BRYCE RECORD CARD CONTROLLED MACHINE FOR SORTING AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 22. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 3 v2 *2 W2 19 g 6. Na wm wo o o 00 o o 00 Nov. 29, 1927.

J. w. BRYCE RECORD CARD CONTROLLED MACHINE FOR SORTING AND THE LIKE avwento'z WWW Nov. 29, 1927. 1,651,179

J. W. BRYCE RECORD CARD CONTROLLED MACHINE FOR SORTING AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 22. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 memes Nov. 29, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES W. BRYCE, OF BLOOMFIELD,'.NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE TAIBULATING MACHINE COMPANY, OF ENDICO'IT, YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BEC OIRD-CARD-CONTROLLED MACHINE'FOR SORTING AND THELIKE;

Appllcationflled November 22, 1924. Serial No. 751,702.

This invention relates to machines especially adapted for sorting record cards in tabulating systems which use the Peirce combinational hole system of index point perforations, as distinguished from cards of the Hollerith type which use a single hole differentially positioned in the card column.

In the Peirce system the reading position is a particular zone on a card and the holes are variously arranged in that zone instead of being positioned anywhere in a card columnextending from top to bottom of the card, as in Hollerith.

My invention .is an improvement on the machine described in-detail in copending application by E. A. Ford, Serial No. 7 48,347 whichdiscloses a sorter of the horizontal type designed to sort Hollerith cards electrically and deposit each class in its proper station.

Heretofore in machines sorting Peirce cards it has been necessary to bring the cards to a stop at each station so as to permit pin sensing of the cards. My present invention erniits the sensin or analyzing of the car s electrically at eac station while the cards are in motion, thereby allowing much higher sorting speed than in devices which require stoppage'for analyzing.

Further and other advantages of the present invention will hereafter appear in the accompanying specifications and claims and in the drawings, which by way of illustration show what I now consider to be a preferred embodiment of the invention.

.Fig. 1 is the front elevation of a sorting machine to which my device is adapted.

Fig. 2 is a section through the feeding mechanism, showing also some conveyor rollers, and the analyzing or sensing devices for the first two stations.

Fig. 3is an extension of Fig. 2 to the left showing additional rollers and control devices.

frame 32 supporting ed on legs 31. Underneath the main frame,

and carried by the legs, is a shelf or subthe motor 33 which drives the machine om pulley 34 by belt 35 to pulley 36 fast on shaft 37, which runs the full length of the machine in the rear, pulle 36 being on one end of it and handwhee 38 onthe other.

In operation a stack of cards to'be sorted is placed in the feed magazine, as at 55, the operator adjusts his analyzin brushes and when the motor is started t e picker drum feeds the cards, one by one, from the bottom of the stack to the conveyor rolls, which carry them along horizontally above the receiving stations until each card is deflected downwards into one of the eleven receiving stations. These stations are fully described in the copending application above referred to.

The feed mechanism consists of the rotary picker drum 61 driven from shaft 37. Drum 61 carries in its rim a number of'picker blades 69 extending lengthwise of the drum ano. projecting therefrom a distance slightly less than the thickness of a card. As the drum revolves, each blade in turn picks a card from the bottom of the stack and feeds it through the micrometer opening 72 provided between the bottom of fixed plate 73 and rollers 74, into the control of the conveyor'rolls.

The upper conveyor rolls are designated 82, there being two of them fast on shaft 83, while directly under each of these upper rollers is alower roll 84 fast on shaft 85. The rolls are driven by worm 86 on shaft 37 through spiral gears 87 fast on shafts 83 and 85. All rolls are ofthe same diameter and are driven at the same speed, the upper set turning clockwise and the lower set counterclockwise, so as to draw the'cards between them. Each upper. pair of rolls is downwardly spring-pressed against the corresponding lower set by adjustable spring clips 92. It is found that this conveyor system insures that the exact distance between cards will be maintained throughout their travel which is an essential feature in the operation of my invention.

Record card.

The Peirce combinational hole system may be understood by reference to 4 and 5 ioo which show a typical control zone of a card, and the Peirce code for numbers, respectively. P

An inspection of Fig. 5 shows that the use of either one or two holes, and four positions, can be made to designate all of the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. For convemenceof description I have designated the four positions by letters A, B, and D. Reference to Fig. 5 shows that a single hole 111 D pos tion means 0, while a singlejhole 1n Apos1- tion means 1; in B positlon the single hole means 2 and in C position 5. Two holes one at A and one at '0 mean 3, while two.

holes one at C and one at D mean 9, and so This code enables us to inter et the meaning of the holes in the car itself. For instance in the column furthest to the left we have holes in A- and B positions which means 7; in the second column holes in B y and D' positions means 4; in the third colum holes at B and C mean 8, and so on. Analyzing and distributing system Crosswise of the frame of the machine and fastened theretoat their ends are a plurality of rods 100. These rods are parallel to shafts 83 and in approximately the same plane. Each rod carries a brush holder 101 (Fig. 8) of non-conducting material, settable lengthwise on rod 100 and secured thereto b screw 102 or other suitable means.

ach brush holder 101 carries either oneol two contact brushes'104, which bear on the top surface of cards 103 passing between the conveyor rolls. Rods 100 are so placed that each card passes under a set of brushes 104 just before it reaches'eath receiving station as will be more fully described. If no card be present the lower end of each brush 104 rests on a metallic contact strip 105, supported -.by the non-conducting block 106 rigidly secured to the frame of the machine. There is an individual contact strip 105 for each individual brush 104.

These contact blocks 106 and their brushes are exactly a card cycle apart so if the control zone of any card in the conveyor system 7 is under a set of brushes then the control zone of every card passing through the rollers is also under a set of brushes.

Cards are fed; bottom first and sets of .br'ushes are arranged according to the Peirce system sothat the first setfrom the-right W111 sense 9., the secondset will sense 8, the

third set 7 and so on in the order 6, 5, 4, 3, 2,

1, 0.- The above arrangement will be apparent from: Figs. 7 and 7 and also from Figs. 2 and 3 in which I have lettered the four brush positions A, B, C, and D to corre-.

spond with Fig. 5. It willbe noticed that t e two brushes in the station nearest the feeding mechanism are in positions 0 and D,

which means 9; at the'second station they tion D only, whereas at station marked 3 there are brushes and contact strips at A and C.

It will be noticed that although in the Peirce code the figure 5 is represented by a single perforation in C position I have provided two brushes at the 5 station. The reason for this will be explained later.

Adjacent each receiving station except the final or Reject station is a magnet 107 having two opposed but similar windings, the purpose of which will presently be explained. Controlled by each magnet is a deflector plate 108' hinged on rod 109 and carrying downwardly extending arm 110 drawn to the right by spring 111.

On the same shaft with picker drum 61 is a four-lobed cam 112. Extending lengthwise of the machine is a push rod 113 actuated by cam.112 through roller 114 carried by block 115 on the end of rod 113.. The rod 113 is pushed to the left by the cam and returned by spring 116 four times for every revolutionof the picker drum or once for every card cycle.

At each receiving station except R the push 'rodcarries a pin 117 so positioned that when rod 113 is pushed to, the left pin 117 will carry with it arm 110,'w-hich isattached to deflector 108 and thereby lower the upper end -of the deflector below the plane of passing cards. Each magnet 107 is providedwith an armature 118 carried on an arm 119 pivoted at 120 and having on its end opposite from the armature a shoulder 121 this end of arm 119 being drawn downwardly by spring 122. If a magnet 107' be energized when arm is in .its position to the left it will draw down armature 118 thereby causing shoulder 121 to engage the lower extremity of arm 110 andhold it. in that position with the deflector 7 is a gear 122 geared in the ratio 4 to 1 to the smaller gear 123 so that gear 123 makes one revolution for each card fed'from the stack; Secured to gear 123 is the cam' 124 operating against the spring blade 125 to' A make and break contact .126. The drawing illustrates 'bnly part of the cam contact COlTlbination which is the conventional cam and contact device used in tabulating andsorting machines driven .syncliron'ou'sly with the card movement to make the brush circuit just before a perforation reaches the brush and break the circuit just before the brush leaves the perforation in the card. This device is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 7 at the left.

Referring to Fig. 7* my motor is started by depressing button 127 and stopped by depressing either of the stop buttons 128 one at each end of the machine. A card controlled device serves to stop the machine automatically should the'supply of cards be exhausted. Thisis shown conventionally at 129.

Magnets 107 are wound with two equal opposing coils. If equal currents are passing in both coils they will neutralize each other and the magnet is not energized. If, however, the coils are unbalanced the stronger coil will energize the magnet and actuate the armature.

Diagrams 7 and 7 show the circuit arrangement. Single brushes are each connected in series with one magnet coil of the corresponding magnet while each pair of brushes is in multiple series with its magnet coil. There will frequently be circuits established through single brushes of two brush combinations, for instance. both 9 and 5 cards have brushes in D position and whenevera 6 card is in the 9 station current will pass through the D brush and it is necessary to prevent the 9 magnet being neutralized under such a condition. This is accomplished by my system of balanced resistances.

It will be noticed in Figs. 7'and 7 that every brush and" every opposing magnet coil has a resistance in series with it. These resistances are so adjusted as to allow equal currents to flow through both coils of a magnet only when the proper card is under the corresponding brush or brushes. The members 10 and 20 placed beside each resistance in Figs. 7 and 7 represent the units of current that each corresponding resistance allows to pass. These members 10 and 20 are illustrative only and may be replaced by any others having the same relationship to each other.

Contact mechanism 124 is so timed as to send an impulse through the control circuit once for every card cycle, the impulse occurring while the control zone of the cards is under the brushes. If at that instant a brush or pair of brushes rests on a blank card so as to make no contact through the card with their contact strips 105 then no current flows through the brush coil of the magnet winding, the magnet will be energized, its armature actuated and the deflector held down so the card will passon to the next station for further examination.

If at any station having a single brush that brush makes contact through the card then the brush coil on its magnet will carry the same current as the opposing coil, the magnet will not be energized, arm 110 will follow rod 113 to the right, the deflector will be raised, and the card that actuated the deflector will go into the station under the (18-. fiector. The same thing will happen if at a station havin .two brushes (except station 5) both brus esfind holes in their card. Their magnet will be neutralized and the deflector raised.

The stations are arranged in the order 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, so the cards will pass through the two-brush analyzing devices before reaching the one-brush stations (except station 5). Otherwise some single brushes would actuate deflectors by making contact through single holes of two hole combinations. For instance, the two-brush would act for all cards having holes in B position thus including all 4, 7 and 8 cards. However, due to my sequence of stations all 4, 7 and 8 cards are sorted before the 2 station is reached. A somewhat special arrangement is required at the 5 station to prevent the single 5 brushatC position fromdeflecting the 3 cards into the 5 station. This arrangement comprises an extra brush and resistance at position A but with the resistance in the lower magnet coil adjusted to pass only lOunits of current. It is evident that' if a 5 card is at 5 station no current will flow through the A brush, but 10 units will flow through C brush and the same amount through the lower coil. The magnet will be neutralized, the deflector raised, and the card deposited. in the 5 station, where-it belongs.

On the other hand, if a 3 cardbe in 5 station,

10 units of current will flow through each of the A and C brushes or 20 units through the upper magnet coil while only 10 units are'passing through the lower magnet coil, the magnet will be energized and the 3 card will pass on for further examination.

It may appear that the changing combinations which take place as the cards move under the brushes will actuate the deflector mechanism. This would occur were it not for the fact that contact must be made concurrently at the brushes and at 126, and the device controlling contact 126 is so timed with reference to the feed and conveyor mechanism as to make contact, only when the card is in proper position under the brushes.

Operation.

is in proper position on the contact blocks 105 for the brushes to properly analyze the perforations in the card,.as previously. ex-

plained.

If a set of brushes finds its particular deflector. This condition is shown in Fig.

3 wherein the brush to the right has contacted through the card. This has neutralized the magnet controlling the middle deflector so that armature arm 119 has released its arm 110 which has therefore been allowed to follow rod 113 to the right thereby allowing spring 111 to raise the deflector. It is evident that further progress of the card through which contact was made will take it into the center station where it belongs.

If a set of brushes finds its particular combination it acts, otherwise it lets the card pass on to be examined again at each succeeding station. If 'no combinational holes are found in the control zone the card will i pass to the final station, marked R, or

Reject.

The above sorting, and it is evident that the cards are analyzed and sorted rapidly, without stopping the cards, and each card is deposited in itsaappropriate station.

My device may also be used for selecting only cards having only one particular hole combination in the path of the brushes, as

for instance, the 6 combination, in which case all brush circuit switches 130 will be opened,except the one at station 6. All 6 cards then will go to the 6 station, the others all going to the R station.

To sort more than one combinational set of holes in a single column, as for instance,- 9 and 7, all switches except 9 and 7 are opened. Then all cards with a 9 combination will go to the 9 station and all cards with a 7 combination will go to the 7 station,

all other cards going to the R station.

Another valuable feature of my present invention is its abilityto sort in more than one column at a t1me,m one run. This is possible on account of havlng a settable brush at each station. Suppose,. for instance, the operator wants to take out all cards having the 9combination in the first column, and all those having the 2' combination inthe seventh column, At the'9 station the brushes are positioned to. the first column, and at the 2' station the brush is positioned to the seventh column. All other brush circuits are opened. Then when thecards are run through all cards with 9s .the first column will go to station 9. cards with 2s in the seventh column, without 9s inthe first column, will go to the '2 station.- The cards in the 9 station must then be run through again with only the 2 brush circuit alive. In this way the cards analyzing device through said a device at each station to description covers straight holes in the-cards,

station, a magnet at each station, said mag-,

with 9 in the first column will pass on to the 2 station without hindrance and any of them with 2 holes in the seventh column will go into the 2 station.

I have described my present invention as applied only to a sorting machine for handling combinational hole cards, but the invention may be used to equal advantage in tabulating machines, posting machines or any similar machine wherein the sens ng or analyzing of such cards electrically 15 desired, and my invention extends to such use.

What I'claim is 1. In a machine of in combination with means for feeding record cards, a plurality an analyzing device at flector at each station,

each station, a deand a magnet with flector being operable by its corresponding magnet.

2. In a machine of the character described, in combination with means for feeding record cards, a plurality of receiving statlons', analyze cards by causing electric currents a card deflector at each net having opposed windings, said deflector being held in deflecting position when both coils of the magnet are equally energized and in non-deflecting position when said coils are unequally energized.

3. In a machine of the character described, in combination with'means for feeding record'cards, a deflector, a device to analyze cards by passing electric current through holes in the cards, a magnet with opposed windings, said deflector being in operative or non-operative position depending on whether said opposed windings are equally or unequally energized.

4. In a machine of the character described, in combination with means for feeding record cards, a .device to analyze cards by passing electric current through holes in the cards, a magnet with opposed windings, one of the windings being in the common sorter of receiving stations,

to flow throughthe character described,

circuit and the other winding in the analyzer circuit.

' in combination with means for feeding record cards, a plurality of deflectors, a plurality of-control units each. comprisingan ance, each magnet having opposed windings,

one of said windings being in the brush ciricuit, the other being in serieswith aresistance, all resistances in each control unit being so proportioned as to neutralize the magnet of that unit only when the proper combination of card perforations is in the corresponding analyzing device, the resistances of each unit being so proportioned relative to the resistances of the other units as to prevent stray currents operating any of said deflector magnets. J

7. In a machine of the character described, in combination witli means for feeding record cards, an electric circuit comprising a feed line and a return line, an analyzing device comprising one or more contact brushes, each brush in series with a resistance, a magnet with opposed windings, one of the windings being connected from feed line to return line through a resistance, the other winding being connected from feed line to return line in series with a single brush and its resistance, said resistanoes being so proportioned relative to each other as to neutrallze the magnet only when the proper combination of card perforations isin the analyzing device.

8. In a machine of the character described, in combination with means for feeding record cards, an electric circuit comprising a feed line and a return line, a plurality of. deflectors, a plurality of control units eachv comprising an analyzing device and a magnet, each analyzing device comprising one or more contact brushes, each brush in series with a resistance, each magnet having opposed windings, one of said windings being connected from feed line to return line through a resistance, the other winding of some of said magnets being connected from feed line to return" line in series with a single brush and its resistance, and the windings of other of said magnets being in multiple series through multiple brushes and their resistances, all resistances in each control unit being so proportioned as to neutralize the magnet of that unit only when the proper combination of card perforations is in the corresponding analyzing device, the resistances of each unit being so proportioned relative to the resistances of the other units as to prevent stray currents operating any of said deflectors.

9. In a combinational hole record-controlled machine, in combination, means for sensing combinational hole records, includin an electric circuit under control of the ho es in the cards, and a magnet; said circuit having at least two branches and said magnet being effective only when the current flow in the branch circuits is properly balanced through the card perforations,

10. In a combinational hole record-controlled machine, in combination, means for sensing combinational hole records, including an electric circuit. under control of the holes in the cards, and a magnet; said circuit having two branches and said ma at having two opposed windings, one win 'ng in each branch circuit, said magnet being efit'ective only when the magnetic flux in its two coils. is properly balanced by current through the card perforations.

11. In a machine of the class described,

means for analyzing records according to a combinational system ofindex points, and means for controlling machine operation in accordance with a predetermined combination on a record, said means including said analyzing means and a magnet with opposed windings controlled ther y.

12. In a machine of the class described, means for analyzing records according toa combinational system of index points, electrically controlled means for controlling machine operation in accordance with a predetermined combination on a record and a control circuit for said last named means comprising a plurality of branches including resistances and controlled by said analyzing means to permit operation of said electrically controlled means only on the establishment of predetermined current relations in the several branches.

13. In a machine of. the character described, means for analyzing records according -to a combinational system of index points, electrical means for controlling machine operation in accordance with a predetermined combination of index points on a record and a control circuit for said last named means comprising means for establishing. current flow in said circuit independently of the analyzing means and means controlled by said analyzing means for vary-, ing the current flow 1n the circuit.

14. In a machine of the character described, means for analyzing records according to a combinational hole system of index points, a control circuit including means for establishing current flow therein independently of the analyzing means and means for establishing current flow therein under control of the analyzing means, and electrical means controlled by said circuit for controlling machine operation in accordance with predetermined ratios between the current flows thus established.

15. In a machine of the character de' scribed, in combination with means for feeding record cards, an electric circuit compris ing a feed line and a return line, an analyzing device comprising one or more contact brushes each brush in series with a resistance,

a, magnet with opposed windings one of said windings being connected from feed line to return ine through a, resistance, the other winding being connected from feed line to return line in movable series though movable brushes and reslstances, said resistancesbeing so proportioned relative to each other as to neutralize the magnet only whenthe proper combination of card perforations is in the analyzing device a 10 In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

JAMES W. BRYCE. 

